Dundee midfielder Jim McAlister admits the season thus far has been something of a mixed bag for the Dark Blues.
There have been some positives in the form of a comprehensive victory over Livingston and four out of five clean sheets in the league.
There have also been some negatives in the shape of an opening day defeat to Queen of the South and the exit from the Ramsdens Cup at the hands of League One side Stenhousemuir.
The home draw against league leaders Hamilton Accies last week had both good and bad in it.
The good was the rally from Dundee in the latter part of the game, while the bad was what went before as the visitors dominated.
What the Dark Blues need to do is find a decent standard of performance and maintain it consistently as they chase league leaders Hamilton.
With a difficult trip to Falkirk to be faced today, that will be easier said than done.
However, McAlister is confident it can be achieved.
“We admit we haven’t been great, with perhaps the exception of the Livi game,” said McAlister.
“We are, though, still second in the league and have had a few clean sheets. Indeed, we haven’t conceded a goal in the league since the first day of the season.
“We have been working on wee exercises in training, but I think fluency of passing is something that will come. Maybe it takes a bit of time to get used to being back down a division.
“So it is a mixture of good and bad for us just now. It would be worse if we weren’t picking up points, but we have been doing that.
“We still can tick along quite nicely while also appreciating that it is important that there is not too much of a gap at the top.
“We want to build momentum and I am sure we can do that.”
McAlister also made the point that if they can go to Falkirk this afternoon and beat the Bairns then that would put a better gloss on the draw with Hamilton.
“If we can go there and win, then maybe four points out of two games against them and Hamilton won’t look too bad,” he said.
“I would probably have settled for that beforehand. I was at Hamilton a couple of years back and I could see last weekend that they are progressing as individuals and as a club.
“There was a big difference there and they won’t be anyone’s mugs this season. Falkirk away is always tough, but they do like to play the ball about and an open game could suit us.”
Dundee’s major selection concern is over striker Peter MacDonald, who has had a virus.
The illness has prevented him from training but he has recovered and could start against the Bairns.
Defender Gary Irvine has been struggling with a hip problem, but he too is expected to be fit.
The rally against Accies was due partly to the input of winger Nicky Riley, who came off the bench to trouble the Hamilton backline.
That contribution should earn him promotion to the starting line-up, with manager John Brown saying: “Nicky was right in the mix at the start of the season but he got an injury.
“Now he has returned and is in the mix again. The last thing we wanted to do was throw him in too early and watch him break down.”